Top News

Why Google Just Made iPhone King: Ads — By releasing new versions of Google Maps and Gmail for iOS this month, Google helped make the iPhone the best mobile phone on the planet. Why is Google, the owner of Android and Motorola, helping its ostensible rival? — The answer boils down to advertising.

Why Google Maps Is Better Than Apple Maps — There's a simple answer: people. — For all of Google's reputation as a data-data-data company, the company's famed mapping product, which arrived on iOS early this morning, is good for a different reason: people.

The Web We Lost — The tech industry and its press have treated the rise of billion-scale social networks and ubiquitous smartphone apps as an unadulterated win for regular people, a triumph of usability and empowerment. They seldom talk about what we've lost along the way in this transition …

Combating accidental clicks in mobile ads — Ads on smartphones are effective, but many of us have at some point clicked on an ad by accident, which ultimately is a bad experience for the user, the publisher, and the advertiser who pays for clicks that may not be valuable.

Massive bank cyberattack planned — Security firm McAfee on Thursday released a report warning that a massive cyberattack on 30 U.S. banks has been planned, with the goal of stealing millions of dollars from consumers' bank accounts. — McAfee's research upheld an October report from RSA …

Apple kicks off iPhone 5 sales in China — Apple has begun sales of the iPhone 5 in China, its second-largest market. Doors opened at official retail stores at 8am, though the company's reserve-and-pick-up system dampened launch crowds. — A rare Beijing snowstorm didn't help matters …

Google Starts Reporting False DMCA Takedown Requests — Ever since Google started publishing a transparency report for the DMCA requests it receives, the number of notices being sent have shot through the roof. — During the past month copyright holders asked Google to remove 12,045,130 webpages from its search.

US, UK and Canada refuse to sign UN internet treaty — The UN's communication treaty will not be ratified by the US, UK or Canada — The US, UK and Canada say they will not sign an international communications treaty under discussion in Dubai. — The three countries had objected to calls …

Samsung to reduce investment in LCD — Samsung Electronics is moving to reduce investment in its liquid crystal display (LCD) unit as the firm has shifted the focus of its screen business to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and plastic-based flexible displays.

Dell Quits Smartphone Business Globally, Drops Android — Dell is definitely pulling the plug on the smartphone business, globally. A tough decision, leaving a market that is expected to reach $150.3 billion in 2014, according to MarketsandMarkets. However, Jeff Clarke …

T-Mobile completes iPhone-friendly upgrade in 23 cities — T-Mobile on Thursday officially activated its overhauled HSPA+ systems in five more regions of the country, including the greater Chicago area, bringing it that much closer to fielding a nationwide network that can fully support Apple's iPhone.